Process of making dialkali cyanamid.



NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHANNES PFLEGER, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO DEUTSOI-IE GOLD & SILBER-SCHEIDE-ANSTALT, VORM. ROESSLER, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF MAKING DIALKALI CYANAMID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,709, dated. April 9, 1901.

Application filed December 10, 1900. Serial No. 39,383. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.- method just described is unsuitable for the 50 Be it known that I, JOHANNES PFLEGER, a preparation of large quantities of cyanamid. subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a The production on a larger scale may be efresident of 215 Gutlentstrasse, Frankfort-onfected by either of two following ways,which the-Main, Germany, have invented certain I will describe as applied to the production new and useful Improvements in the Manuof disodium cyanamid. 55 facture of Cyanamid and ItsOompounds, of First. Amid in the solid or molten state is which the following is a specification. slowly introduced into molten cyanid. Ac-

Cyanamid and its compounds were for a cording to the rate at which the amid is inlong time a class of bodies which could only troduced the disengagement of the hydrogen be obtained with difficulty. It is only rewill be more orless violent. This gas ignites 6o cently that the specifications of Letters Patand burns with a long flame as it issues from out granted to Frank and Caro (British Patthe crucible. ent No. 25,475, 1898) have dis'oloseda method Second. The operation is conducted in such which by'the action of the nitrogen of the ata manner that amid in the nascent state is mosphere on the carbide of the metals of the caused to act on themolten cyanid. Aweighed alkaline earths at a high temperature allows quantity of cyanid is melted down and mainof the obtainment of a mixture containing tained at a temperature little above its point cyanamid from which aqueous solutions of of fusion. Thereupon the calculated quan- 2o cyanimid can be obtained. tity of sodiumtwenty-three parts of sodium The present invention consists in a process for forty-nine of cyanid of sodium-is brought allowing of the obtainment of cyanamid and into thefused mass and ammonia is caused to its compounds (for instance, the disodium pass through the mass. The metal is concyanamid) in one operation and in the dry verted by the ammonia into an amid, which 25 way. at the instant of its production enters into re- The process is based on the action of soaction with the cyanid. dium amid on sodium cyanid, the hydrogen In all of the aforesaid reactions the sodium separating and disodium cyanamid being may be entirely or partly replaced by another formedin accordance with the following equaalkali. Thus with potassium cyanid and po- 30 tion: tassium amid the dipotassium cyanamid is obtained while with potassium cyanid and so- NaNH2+NabNCNNNa2+H2' dium amid the sodium and potassium cyana- Sodium amid melts at a temperature of mid is obtained. The same compound may about 120 centigrade. Sodium cyanid can be be obtained with sodium cyanid and potas- 5 introduced into sodium amid heated a little sium amid. From the dialkali cyanamid comabove its point of fusion without a chemical pounds thus prepared pure cyanamid and its reaction taking place, the cyanid dissolving compounds can be obtained in the well-known in the amid without undergoing any change; manner. These may, like the dialkali cyanabutif the temperature of the mixture be raised mid compounds, be used as the first material 49 to about 400 centigrade hydrogen is slowly for the synthesis of other nitrogenous bodies.

evolved, and it can be shown that cyanamid is I claim--- 0 present in the molten mass. If the tempera- 1. A process of preparation of alkali cyanature be raised above 400 centigrade, hydromid which consists in reacting the amid of the gen is suddenly or somewhat violently disenalkali metal with the cyanid of an alkali metal 5 gaged, and if the proportions of the mixture so as to form a dialkali cyanamid in accordbe correct the contents of the crucible consist ance with the following general formula: of almost pure disodium cyanamid. Owing to the great rapidity with which the reaction Alk'NH2+AlkCN A1k2NNO+H2' takes place at about 440 centigrade, the 2. A process for the preparation of dialkali eyanamid which consists in causing an alkali name to this specification in the pl'esenee'of metal and ammonia to react in the presence two subscribing Witnesses. of a fused alkali cyanid, alkali amid being T formed and reacting in its nascent state upon v JOHANB ES PFLEGER' 5 the alkali eyanid to form dialkali eyanamid, Witnesses:

substantially as described. JEAN GRUND,

In testimony whereof I have signed my FRANZ HASSLAOHER. 

